Death penalty headlines tell one story about America. Austin Sarat offers another, helping you distinguish the spectacle of particular executions from the broader changes he believes are moving the country towards abolition.
Surviving an execution sounds like the end of an unimaginable ordeal. It may leave another one ahead. Austin puts today’s question alongside earlier survivors, raising the possibility that escaping death once doesn’t settle what the state will do next. How often has survival led to a second attempt?
The horror of a crime can make the punishment feel obvious. But Austin draws a line between judging the offender and deciding what society should permit itself to do. Hear how that distinction shapes his argument against returning a survivor to the execution chamber.
Topics: death penalty, abolition, failed execution, punishment, second execution attempts
GUEST: Austin Sarat
Originally aired on2026-10-14
